How Green Are Thee? Océ Wants To Know...

Océ is seeking applications for its Second Annual 'Green Reprographer of the Year' Award, a prestigious recognition for environmentally aware members won last year by Reliable Graphics of Southern California.

The award recognizes outstanding achievement in environmentally responsible operations and helping customers establish sustainable business practices.

Applicants will be asked to submit, in writing, their achievements in the area of green business practices and explain how these efforts have assisted their customers to meet their own sustainability goals. The winning reprographer will be announced on April 30, 2009.

"Despite the various challenges facing reprographers today, many remain committed to developing their own environmentally sound business practices and to assisting their AEC and other clients meet their sustainability goals," said Patrick Chapuis, President, Wide Format Printing Systems division of Oce North America. "After the excellent response we received last year, we want to continue our recognition of those companies that are making strides in incorporating sustainability throughout their business operations."

All applicants will be considered by Oce for future publicity opportunities regarding their sustainability efforts, including interviews and contributed articles with leading reprographic industry publications.

The Nitty Gritty:

WHAT: The Oce "Green Reprographer of the Year" award will recognize the print-for-pay reprographer who has made the most compelling strides to incorporate environmentally conscious practices into its business operations.

WHEN: Print-for-Pay reprographers can view criteria and submit applications through March 27, 2009 via an online application form, which can be downloaded by visiting www.oceusa.com/greenreproaward.

HOW: Applications will be judged based on the following factors:

Products used in the reprographer's business that reduce the impact on the environment
Services provided to the reprographer's customers to benefit the environment
Changes or improvements to facilities that reduce the impact on the environment
Employee programs supporting environmental conservation

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges, including Denise Gustavson, Editor of Wide Format Imaging magazine, Dave Barista, Managing Editor of Building Design & Construction magazine, and Ed Avis, author of the 2008 Green Reprographics Handbook and contributing writer on sustainability issues for Repro Report magazine.


FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on this award or the submission process, please visit www.oceusa.com/greenreproaward.

"Shaun's Corner" - What's That Light I See?

By Shaun Meany
The PEiR Group

Thanks for all your calls and email these last few weeks. Your feedback, ideas, and good humor are essential to my getting a handle on our industry's mood and overall perception of market conditions.

I'm not here to be a cheerleader. That's not my role. I'm here to help our members get through this downturn in any way I can, and to share any insight I may have that indicates light at the end of the tunnel.

While some may wryly say the only light they see in the tunnel is on the front of the train running straight at them, there are indicators of a turnaround - certainly not tomorrow, or the next day - but coming. And we all need to be prepared to catch the wind when it starts to blow our way again.

Why so optimistic, you ask? Well, I'm hearing that while public construction projects are in a holding pattern, private jobs are still buzzing in certain sectors, and there has been some shift in attention given to non-AEC work by our members.

I'm not going to lie, we're in for a bumpy ride. But if we "Manage for Success" and make the right moves, I believe we can come out of this economic malaise stronger and with more opportunity ahead for all of us.

The target areas that reprographers need to focus on are federal government agencies like DOT, Harbors, Navy, Marine, Army and Air Force, US Army Corp of Engineers and prisons. Call on state and local agencies like building departments, DOT, Public Works and Schools, prisons - there are projects there and jobs to be had.

Private sector institutions, hospitals and stadiums, energy alternatives (wind, solar and other) are also weathering the current storm.

I believe the stimulus package will include two key components that should help the AEC market; significant infrastructure funding increases and beneficial changes in the tax code to promote more business investment. The transportation sector will be a major beneficiary, along with significant investments in water, energy and school and other public construction projects.

A recession is often a stimulus for the adoption of new technologies which means our AEC customers will be looking to deploy technologies that allow them to re-invent their inefficient processes. One process that is sure to be retooled is the bid process.

This is not the time to sit back and wait for the marketplace to reignite itself. Reprographers need to be out in front of their customers discussing their technologies and explaining that this is a perfect time for their customers to invest time in learning these new systems. So when the market does catch fire again these new systems can be used to increase productivity and - by extension - revenues for the reprographics industry.

And The PEiR Group will be here to help in any way we can. Good times or bad, just pick up the phone or drop an entry into this blog. We answer every call or email we get and we look forward to hearing from you.

We're going to get through this. And we look forward to seeing as many of you as can make it to Las Vegas on March 5th.

We'll have some fun and get down to business,

Regards,

Shaun

Sub-Hub Gives Reprographers a Competitive Edge

By David Swider
Sub-Hub

We are receiving daily inquiries from reprographers regarding Sub-Hub and how an independent reprographer can compete in the bid communication space. We have reviewed what the competitors are up to, and at this year’s executive conference, I also plan to review the Bid Process from the General Contractor and Subcontractor’s perspective.

The review will help us understand a “Day in the Life…" and where as reprographers we can help provide our digital technologies and services to our customers. In a tough economy more and more of our customers are looking for work. Here is what we will review to succeed in our current economy:

1.) What is the Bid Communication process…real world?
2.) What is the competition saying to your customers?
3.) Why is a tough economy the right time to sell digital technologies?
4.) How do I start the discussion with my customers?
5.) How can digital revenue help replace diminishing print revenue?

Our meetings have been full and many reprographers are beginning to offer Sub-Hub to their local GC’s. Why not see for yourself by typing: sub-hub.webex.com and browse meetings to see how you may succeed with this offering. Meetings for reprographers are held every Wednesday 10:00am PST.

Editor’s Note: For direct questions please contact David Swider at dswider@sub-hub.com or 925-658-9025. The Bid Communications feature will become a regular feature of Point of View.

PlanWell “Spring 2009” Release Underway

Most of you know by now that the long-awaited upgrade to PlanWell is currently underway and that most of those enhancements went into effect over the weekend – making the software even more intuitive, more convenient and easier to use.

PlanWell Tech Support reminds us to test and verify that your console runs exactly in same manner in the production environment as it did before the weekend upgrade. If you have any post-release production issues call the Tech Support number at: 510-403-2444.

The PEiR Group and other PlanWell Enterprise Licensee's are scheduled to switchover to the new release Feb 23, 2009.


But if everything goes as expected the new release of PlanWell will provide its users a more robust and easier-to-use Address Book function; automatic matching of bidders to trade packages; a more intuitive user interface and simpler navigation – along with enhanced BidCaster capabilities.

Many long-time users and sellers of the online application are saying this is the best upgrade since our venerated planroom hit the streets back in 2000! Make sure to familiarize yourself with the newest enhancements.

As ever, we’re extremely eager to find out how the upgrade went and if the new enhancements work for you.

You can review the 2009 PlanWell Enterprise review notes on The PEiR Group website in the library section.

Sign-up For Educational Webinar

Dear PEiR Group Members:

The PEiR Group's monthly Educational Webinar for February will be: “Offering a Small FM Program."

During this time together we'll discuss:

What is a Small FM? (As compared to a Traditional FM)
Why it is critical that you consider offering these types of FM’s
What are the benefits to your customers?
What equipment is placed in Small FM’s?
How to price a Small FM
Sample Configurations
Sample Marketing Material to Support the Small FM Program?
Sample Small FM Agreements
Sample Tracking Form (Equipment, Service and Supplies)

When: Thursday, Feb 19th, 10 AM Pacific (1 hour duration)

Click HERE to Register:

If you have any questions please give me a call at 925 658-0212 or e-mail me by clicking HERE. I look forward to sharing this very valuable information with you all!

Best regards,

Shaun Meany
President
The PEiR Group
1981 North Broadway, Suite 360
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
925.658.0200 tel
925.658.0201 fax
925-658-0212 direct

Two Nights At The Bellagio Go To...

Our "early bird" drawing for two nights at the Bellagio was well received. We're happy to announce that Al Rank of Precision Blue wins the two-day stay and congratulations to him! We can promise that Las Vegas will be a little warmer than Downers Grove, IL right now.

The PEiR Group Executive Conference is being held March 5th and 6th, 2009 in Las Vegas so we'll see Al and the rest of you there. We look forward to seeing you all!

BLI Picks Canon imagePROGRAF iPF820

The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF820 has earned a Fall 2008 Buyers Laboratory Inc. (BLI) "Pick" award for "Outstanding Wide-Format Color Inkjet Multipurpose Printer."

The 44-inch iPF820 is one of the few wide-format inket printers on the market with a two-roll capacity, and is compatible with more than 30 Canon media types, including various weight bond papers for technical printing applications, numerous gloss and satin paper for photographic output and even adhesive-backed vinyl material for sign and graphics applications.

"The unit's output speed was impressive. But also notable was its ability to switch between rolls so much faster than the competition, requiring an average of just four seconds," said David Sweetnam, BLI's European lab and research manager.

Yuichi Miyano, European marketing director for Canon's Large Format Solutions, says: "The iPF820 is an example of Canon's leading technology and tradition for high quality, outstanding colors and exceptional print needs."

Each year, BLI gives special recognition to two products it finds provide the most outstanding performance after exhaustive laboratory testing.

PEiR Group Product Advisory

AccuBind Pro Tape Binding
Evolves With AccuBind Pro2

This enhanced machine features improved tape insertion, an internal steel frame, along with:

• “Stand-by” button
• Manually adjustable book clamper for the first book’s thickness
• Self calibration
• Book clamper surface coatings improved for cover positioning
• Stronger motor
• Gold coated microswitches
• Bypass energy save mode
• Ability to use “B” size tapes on “A” size books

Tape strips come in eleven colors, and look great paired with customer covers enhancing the image of any document.

View the machines new look and features by viewing their product video HERE.

More information, including specifications on this machine, and other Spiral products is available on their website, or by contacting Christine Basile at 800-631-3572, ext. 1210.

Is Trashing Toner Bottles The Only Way?

Over the past year or so The PEiR Group has received several inquiries from members wondering if a “greener” approach could be taken to disposal of their toner bottles. Specifically, users of Océs 9700, 9800, and TDS 800 printers wondered if there wasn't a better way to recycle the "thousands" of bottles they get and go through each year.

“I would like to start saving the empty bottles from E-1 toner, and returning them to Océ for reuse,” American Repro's Ken Karbeling says. “Currently they are simply being thrown out, and I am thinking with all of this emphasis on green reprography, a toner bottle recycling program would be very well received…”

As it turns out, however, Océ has an entirely different recommendation when it comes to getting rid of those plastic E-1 bottles – trash them.

“Based on our knowledge about different types of disposal, we advise your customer to dispose of toner bottles through their normal waste,” wrote Michelle Sheldon, former Marketing Services Manager for Océ North America. “This is not what people want to hear, but this is truly the best for our environment.”

Michelle, who has since left Océ for another position, was right when she said that “straight to trash” was not what aspiring green reprographers wanted to hear.

“Other suppliers provide UPS return labels with their products,” Ken says. “We throw out probably over a thousand of these bottles every year. There's got to be a better way...”

But Océ stands firm on its position when it comes to the E-1 bottles, which are made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polystyrene (PS) plastics.

“If the waste is recycled after being collected it is possible for machines to sort out different types of plastics,” Michelle explains. “Customers can easily dispose our empty Océ bottles and cartridges in the normal waste. Only the rest which can not be recycled will be disposed in a landfill nowadays.”

And if your area doesn’t have a recycling program, and incinerates its waste?

“In the normal process of garbage incineration extra fuels needs to be added to be able to burn normal waste from our households and companies,” Michelle says. “But due to the fact that Océ toner bottles and ink cartridges are made from high quality plastics those bottles and cartridges are even used as an accelerator in the burning process. This is substituting virgin oil in the burning process and therefore reduces the use of natural resources.”

Okay? So there you have it. But if you’re hip-deep in E-1s and you have a better idea for getting rid of them than throwing them in the shop dumpster, let us know by using the “comments” button below.

Meanwhile, access Océs green solutions web site by clicking HERE.